BRIDGMAN, MI -- The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert and D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman are operating safely, but "both have their own set of issues" that are being addressed, Allison M. Macfarlane, the chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said at a press conference Friday.

At Palisades, those issues include concerns about a "chilled work environment" in Palisades' security department, in which workers believed they could not raise safety issues without facing retaliation.

"That's an area the NRC is actively engaged in," Macfarlane said. "There's no final word yet" on what action will be taken, "but it's something we look at very seriously."

Macfarlane held the press conference with Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph after the two toured both Palisades and Cook. Upton chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The main purpose of the tour, Upton and Macfarlane said, was to see safety upgrades at the plants in the wake of the Fukishima nuclear crisis in Japan.

"A lot has changed since Fukishima," Upton said. "It's important that we learn from that."

Among the safety upgrades at both plants are the installation of additional safety equipment, and a standardization of connections to make sure that hoses and other emergency equipment can be used anywhere on site.

Macfarlane and Upton said they talked to management at both plants Friday, and had a private meeting with the NRC on-site inspectors at each facility.

Macfarlane and Upton also met concerned local residents, as well as representatives from Beyond Nuclear, Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, Don't Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, and Kalamazoo City Commissioner Don Cooney.

Upton said that he talked with Palisades management about improving its communications and answering questions of concern.

"That's an area where they could do a better job for sure," he said.

Macfarlane was asked about an internal NRC report made public this week that said 75 percent of NRC employees who participated in an internal survey said they received poor performance reviews after registering formal objections to agency decisions.

Macfarlane said that 36 employees were surveyed and 24 responded, making it a small sample size.

She said the survey was conducted to see if NRC employees felt they could speak out. "We really value different views," she said. "It's important tht people can present different views in a comfortable way."

In conducting the survey,"we wanted to check in to see how the processes were working" in terms of offering different views, she said.

She said she needs to look more closely at the survey results to determine what action to take.